1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to carriers mounted on vehicles for transporting one or more bicycles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Of the many U.S. patents on bicycle racks mounted on vehicles, most of these racks were designed for use on the trunks or bumpers of cars. Wasserman, U.S. Pat. No. 3,874,575, disclosed such a rack in 1975 while Allen, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,109,839 and 4,709,840, disclosed trunk mounted bicycle racks in 1978 and 1987. Both Wassermann's and Allen's devices used adjustable straps but were best suited for use on the trunk of the vehicle. Other bicycle racks have been designed for mounting on the roof of the vehicle. Among them, are racks in which, during loading, the front wheel of the bicycle is removed and the front fork secured to the rack using a fixed axle. Carter, U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,993, and Shimano U.S. Pat. No. 3,848,784 both disclose bicycle racks using such a front fork mount, but both of these racks are only suitable for mounting on the roof of the vehicle. Bicycles carried on the roof of a vehicle add significantly to the air drag and therefore reduce gas milage. Roof mounted racks are inconvenient in that the rack connections are high and mostly out of reach on vans and similar vehicles.
In 1975, both Danon, U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,810 and Rogers, U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,869 disclosed bicycle racks that were fastened to the nearly vertical surfaces of the rear doors of vans and similar vehicles. The bicycle rack disclosed in the Danon patent is similar to most of the trunk mounted racks in that the bicycles are supported horizontally on two brackets that extend outward from the rack underneath the top tube of the bicycle frames. Typically, only two or three bicycles can be carried in this manner. Furthermore, damage to the bicycles is hard to avoid because there are no provisions to separate them.
The bicycle rack disclosed by Rogers, on the other hand, positions the bicycles vertically allowing several bicycles to be carried on the rack. Rogers' rack engages the handlebars of the bicycles with the seat resting on an intermediate support and the wheels extending away from the vehicle. The loading and unloading of any bicycle mounted on Rogers' device is awkward because the handle bars, the most convenient place to handle a bicycle, must be turned toward the vehicle leaving the freemoving wheels and greasy chain nearest the user. Moreover, the rack assembly itself is a large and cumbersome structure that comprises many parts. Further, while both Danon's and Rogers' devices hold totally assembled bicycles, both devices require additional straps and tie-downs to hold the bicycles securely.
In 1989, Bowman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,842,148 disclosed a bicycle rack that also uses a front fork mount. The usefulness of this rack is limited. Bowman's rack was specifically designed for stationary use, as on a wall, with permanent bolted connections. There is no means for adjustably attaching the rack to a vehicle. The rack has provisions for only one bicycle.